DESCRIPTION

Real-time warfare rages across both screens in Shogun Empires, the DS debut from the U.K.'s Box Clever. Set in Japan's legendary "Warring States" era, the game's storyline involves two brothers competing against one another to rule the war-torn land. Kenshin tends to favor aggression and warfare, while Takashi seems to seek more peaceful resolutions when available, and players can choose to guide either of the two. The ultimate goal is to claim each of the territories (around 50 in all) which compose the nation.

Some neutral territories can be won over through negotiation, bringing elements of diplomacy to the gameplay, but when the two brothers face off against one another the result is always warfare. Battle are fought in both screens — one displaying an iconic mini-map of the area and the other showing a closer, more details view of the selected units. The touch screen is used extensively to command troops, and the two screens can be flipped with the left trigger, allowing players to issue orders in either view.

Along with the strategic world map and the duel-screen battle modes, several action-oriented mini-games have players firing crossbows at enemy archers, laying siege to towns with catapults, battling at sea, and facing off in fencing duels. Mini-games earn honor points, which can be spent on upgrades an special units. In addition to the single-player campaign, Shogun Empires offers multiplayer battles for up to eight, through a DS wireless connection. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide